In his new role Hoffman will be responsible for spearheading the development of Venere.com, continuing its growth from a leading European enterprise into a global player in the hotel accommodation booking arena. He will work with a dynamic and experienced team based in Rome.

David Roche, President of Hotels.com Worldwide and Venere.com, comments, “It is a great coup for us to have brought Arthur onboard, he is an experienced travel professional with a proven track record in developing and growing businesses. His considerable experience will be highly beneficial to the Venere.com brand and we look forward to seeing it develop from strength to strength under his leadership.”

Hoffman brings with him a wealth of experience in the travel market. For the past five years he has held the position of Managing Director for Expedia Asia Pacific. In this role he has been responsible for overseeing all Expedia’s operations in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and India, as well as the continued growth of the Expedia brand across the APAC region.

Prior to joining Expedia, Hoffman was General Manager for Qantas Holidays, a role which saw him take responsibility for strategy, e-Commerce and IT for the brand. During his time at Quantas, Hoffman oversaw the development and implementation of a new IT platform, which included online booking tools for both the consumer and travel trade.

During his career Hoffman also served as a strategy consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton and Arthur Andersen. Hoffman holds an MA in Science from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and an MBA from INSEAD in France.

Hoffman takes over the Managing Director role at Venere.com from Emmanuel de Rycker, who leaves the company to become the European Managing Director of Circles, a company recently acquired by Sodexho Alliance, based in London. Roche continues, “Emmanuel has made real progress in developing the Venere.com business and integrating it into Expedia after the acquisition last year, and he now passes on the baton to Arthur. We wish Emmanuel every success in his future endeavors.”

Hoffman will continue to serve as a Director on the board of eLong, Inc., the second largest online travel provider in China, of which Expedia, Inc. is a major shareholder.

Exciting news for hoteliers looking to optimize their distribution and receive more hotel reservations.

Expedia today is introducing the new Expedia Easy Manage program, a hotel partnership option with a commission model for qualifying hotels in Europe, Middle East and Africa. These hotels can quickly and easily sign up to offer their hotel rooms on more than 70 Expedia and Hotels.com sites, as well as on Venere.com.

This great news also represents the integration of the Expedia and Venere.com hotel inventory following Expedia’s acquisition of Venere in 2008.

Hotels interested in learning more about working with Expedia and Venere.com, please visit joinexpedia.com.

The Venere Travel Blog has been online for a year now. It’s been fun and we hope that it was as good for you as it was for us.

You have come to know us, and we have come to know you. Judging from the Top-5 most read articles, you like chocolate and sexy design. Here’s your favourite articles for 2008:

1. Michelin Star Restaurants
Our article about venere.com hotels with on-site fine dining was one of the first articles published on our new travel blog in January 2008. The articles features yummy gourmet hotels in France, Germany, Italy and Poland.

2. Train Travel in Italy
Practical tips for traveling Italy by train, from seat reservations to finding out which train carriage is the right one. This is also one of the most commented articles, making it a complete guide to train travel in Italy. Pisa to Florence or Milan to Naples, find out how to enjoy the ride!

3. Adult Hotels
Published in July 2008 in the heat of Summer, the venere.com top-5 clothing optional and adults-only hotels. Located in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Australia, these naughty resorts offer relaxing luxury stays with fun activities.

4. Chocolate Churros in Madrid
Hot chocolate with churros is big in Spain. It’s typically eaten for breakfast, but can be enjoyed throughout the day. Any time is a good time for enjoying this thick and rich beverage made with dark chocolate in any of these recommended Madrid coffee bars.

5. Sexy Hotels in Europe
Following publication of the annual list of sexy hotels on sexiesthotels.com we got to looking for hot & smoking hotels on venere.com in Italy, Turkey, Holland, Germany and Greece. Sexy design, location, amenities and toiletries, these venere.com hotels are as sexy as it gets!

Tomorrow: our favorite articles

Birthday Cake photo by gotbrimmed

Jean-Philippe Perol, chairman of the European Travel Commission says that the euro exchange rate against the dollar is down this year and is likely to continue to go down. This happy news would make Europe less expensive for Americans. Until then, read our tips on how to travel Europe on a weak dollar.

The Independent lists the top 5 destinations that have improved most in terms of gay-friendliness. Newly gay-friendly destinations include Delhi and Tel Aviv.

Rotterdam opened the first eco self-sustaining dance club. Clubbers at WATT light up the dancefloor with their moves, reports The Guardian.

The New York Times features an article about the hardships of being a flight attendant in today’s unfriendly skies.

The Gadling blog has a fun article with YouTube videos of vintage airline commercials.

Curious about Paul Young’s holiday adventures? Find out all about it in The Independent.

Congrats to travel guru Arthur Frommer for his 1000th blog post!

Looking for a strange hotel room for your next beach holiday in Dorset, UK? Book a stay at the Weymouth Beach Sand Hotel.

Curious to see the world’s smallest hotel? Visit news.com.au to watch the virtual tour of the “Eh’haeus” (”Marriage House”), a landmark hotel located in Bavaria, Germany.

Beijing Aquarium

The Beijing Haiyangguan (Aquarium) is the largest inland aquarium in the world. The aquarium opened in 1999 and has some beautiful fish for your kids to admire. There are daily dolphin shows and the Beijing Zoo is just a 15-minute walk away. The entertainment value of the Beijing Zoo has raised many eyebrows but the Panda House has seen recent improvements and is sure to be a fun and learnful experience for your children.

Liu Ren Papercut House

Paper-cutting artist Liu Ren set up a museum in her Beijing home. She promotes the traditional folk art of jianzhi - paper cutting – and offers workshops at her home.

Milu Park

Milu Park is located in the Southern Marshes where Chinese Emperors used to hunt deer. It is an ecological center where animals can be visited. The main attractions are the Milu – or Père David’s Deer – a species of deer today only known in captivity. The vast marshlands of Milu Park also hold other endangered species of animals. Definitely worth a visit.

Where to stay

The following Beijing hotels on Venere.com all offer babysitting services and then some…
The 4-star Beijing Courtel Hotel offers babysitting services, an outdoor play area and 24-hour room service.
The hotel is housed in a traditional Chinese building and boasts state-of-the-art amenities. The food served at the hotel is a fusion between the Mediterranean cuisine and Chinese traditional food.

The 5-star luxury Kempinski Hotel offers babysitting services, a children’s swimming pool and indoor as well as outdoor playing areas.
The hotel is located in the Beijing Business District and features 7 restaurants, an outdoor tennis court, a squash court and table tennis facilities.
The hotel’s guest rooms overlook either the Liangma River or the Beijing skyline.

Picture of the Beijing Aquarium by Cygnus78

The Starwood Collection luxury Hotel Marqués de Riscal in Elciego, a lovely town in the Basque Country of Northern Spain is a cutting-edge landmark hotel. It first opened in 2006 by Pritzker Prize winning architect Frank Gehry, whose world famous buildings include the Guggenheim Museum of Bilboa.
43 Guest rooms offer splendid views of views the vineyards, the Gehry Wing, and the town of Elciego.

2. Hotel Silken Puerta América

The masterpiece of architecture and 5-star Hotel Silken Puerta America is located in the heart of Madrid. The 75 million dollar project involved world class architects such as Zaha Hadid – the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize – Oscar Neimeyer, Arata Isozaki and Victorio & Lucchino. Every floor has a different concept and design, from the car park to the 12th floor.
The hotel boasts 342 guest rooms, including 12 suites on the top floor. All rooms and suites all offer state-of-the-art technology, such as high-speed wireless internet.

3. Miróhotel

The 4-star Miróhotel in Bilbao was transformed from a music school by architect Carmen Abad Ibáñez de Mata. The interrior design is by Antonio Miró, one of Spain’s top fashion designers. The hotel has its own photography gallery where it showcases works from contemporary local and international artists.
The hotel’s 50 Miró style guest rooms offer great amenities for your stay in Bilbao.

4. Hotel Omm

The 5 star luxury Hotel Omm is truly the cat’s meow when it comes to architecture and design. Located in Barcelona ’s trendy Passeig de Gràcia district, it is a collaboration between architect Juli Capella and interior designers Sandra Tarruella and Isabel Lopez.
The hotel’s Restaurant Moo has 2 Michelin stars.

5. Casa Fuster

The five star luxury Casa Fuster is located in Barcelona, designed by famous Catalan architect D. Lluís Domenéch Montaner (1850-1923). The beautiful Spanish-Arabic inspired architecture of the building makes this hotel a listed landmark in Barcelona. The hotels lovely roof terrace offers a spectacular view of the city below.
A range of amenities are at your disposal in the 96 luxury guest rooms.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your fabulous career?

Well, I’m not sure if you can call my career fabulous but it certainly has been interesting and a ton of fun. I was an Engineering major at college and planned to pursue a technical career. That is until I met my girlfriend in New York City and had to go there to be with her. There weren’t many technical jobs in New York, so joined an small Investment Bank called Allen & Company.

I advised a number of clients in the Media and Entertainment industries in the mergers and acquisitions area. It was a time of great consolidation in the area, and incredibly interesting and exciting. Barry Diller became a client of mine and asked me to join him in a new company that he was building, named Home Shopping Network. I joined as the head of strategic planning in 1998, the early heyday of the Internet.

Over the next 7 years we transformed the company from a small shopping network to a media and internet conglomerate, and bought the businesses that would form the base of what is now Expedia – Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com and TripAdvisor.com. In 2005 we decided to seperate the travel businesses from the rest of the portfolio – Expedia Inc. was born and I was lucky enough to be selected as the CEO.

What would you expect to be the next big thing in travel distribution?

I still think that there is a ton of potential in personalizing the travel experience for the traveler. Right now OLTAs [online travel agencies] pretty much treat every customer the same way – show them the same options, give them the same experience. With the wealth of data and tracking available, we should be able to provide a much more tailored experience to the traveler. Hopefully this can drive loyalty in a very competitive environment.

How will the new ownership of venere.com affect users and hotels? How will Venere and Expedia customers benefit from the new situation?

I think it will afford Venere the opportunity to make longer term bets on its future. We are interested in making Venere ten times bigger than it is now. That means many many more customers and hotels all over the world.

What makes Venere special and how do you see Venere’s future?

I love the site – I think Venere is the most distinctive hotel web site out there. There is a certain same-ness that has settled into the industry and I really like the unique look and feel and mapping that Venere has built. We were also very interested in Venere’s terrific inventory in Southern Europe and your success in building out your hotel supply.
I’d like to see Venere aggressively expand not only in its core European markets, but also into Eastern Europe, Asia and the Americas.

What is your favorite travel destination?

Lake Como – I love being able to hike up in the beautiful hills and coming down to a great meal with great wine!

Rome has banned snacking near its famous monuments in the historical center, reports CNN.

The Canary Island of Lanzarote is ready to welcome flocks of tourists thanks to the new Almodóvar movie, starring Penelope Cruz, due to be released in early 2009. We can’t wait!

Tips on ideal travel insurance coverage can be found this week at news.com.au.

International news coverage of Venere’s acquisition by Expedia:

• Expedia finds its European Holy Grail, Forbes.com
• Advent sells travel web site to Expedia, Private Equity News
• Expedia buying European Hotels Site Venere, Washington Post
• Expedia acquires Venere but what does it mean?, Hotel Blogs
• Expedia promises independence for bed brands, Travolution

Venere was founded in 1995. Global private equity firm Advent International acquired a 60% controlling stake in the company in November 2006. The other 40% in stakes remained in the hands of Venere’s founders. Venere.com offers 29,000 hotels around the world, 26,000 of which in Europe. Venere.com is currently adding accommodation properties at a rate of more than 1,000 per month.

For Expedia Inc, global leader in online travel, the transaction will add more than 10,000 incremental hotels and other types of accommodation such as B&B and vacation rentals in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to its worldwide lodging offering.

Dara Khosrowshahi, President and CEO of Expedia, Inc.:

Acquiring Venere will bring a well-known, respected European consumer brand to the Expedia portfolio. Additionally, it will immediately expand our supply footprint in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and enable Expedia to diversify our business model approach to hotel partners worldwide.

Marco Ficarra, CEO of Venere Net S.p.A.:

We are thrilled at the prospect of becoming part of Expedia because our dedication to offering superior service to travelers via our extensive network of hotels and Bed and Breakfasts is a great fit with the most respected group of brands in travel. In addition, our team of passionate travel professionals located in Rome, London and Paris will complement Expedia’s global team, as we continue to provide hotels new ways to optimize their distribution mix.

Fallen victim to love vibrations on holiday? Failed to realize that your Taormina, Santorini or Ibiza lover came with a two-week expiration date? Alas, the links point to hotels in these places, not to pictures of said lovers. Here are some hands-on tips to avert the lost love crisis:

Indulge in self-pity

Listening to Enya’s Only Time should do the trick. Indulge in self-pity for a few days, locked in your bed room, curtains shut and listing to Enya in a loop. Ritually burn any pictures that remind you of the one that got away, block him on Facebook and messenger. Throw in a dvd of Love Story or Breaking the Waves for good measure. Hit rock-bottom. Then refind yourself to emerge from the experience ready to take on the next heartbreak.

Chocolate

Self-explanatory.

Immediate replacement

A classic. Hit the bars of your home town the minute your plane touches down and find the love of your life, go and reproduce. Send out an email to all your friends asking them to set up blind dates with their single friends and open an account on match.com. Get that long overdue bikini wax and set yourself up for romantic success.

Don’t get over your summer love!

Move to wherever he lives and marry him!

Become a rockstar / poet

Let your romantic misery unleash your inner poet. You could be the new Shakespeare or Mick Jagger! Even though Jagger denies it, we all know that one of the best rock love ballads of all time, Angie, was inspired by David Bowie’s wife Angela. Failing a career as a rockstar slash poet, you can always become a love blogger.

Broken heart picture posted by CarbonNYC

On Saturday 5 July 2008 the French town of Vatan was the scene of the 6th annual meeting of a rather peculiar association: the Association des communes de France aux noms burlesques et chantants, the Association of French municipalities with burlesque and melodious names. Here’s our list of favorite funny town names in France:

1. Condom

According to our sources not an actual member of the association, but too good not to mention. This lovely town of 7,000 inhabitants is situated in the South of France in the region of Midi-Pyrenees, about 120 km north-west of Toulouse. Coincidentally, the town of Condom is on the river Baïse which in French without the dots on the i is the not-so-sophisticated word for the sex act.

2. Monteton

Monteton literally means “My Tit” in French. This tiny little town only has around 230 inhabitants and is situated in the Aquitaine region in the South of France.

3. Corps-Nuds

The village of Corps-Nuds, literally “Naked Bodies“, is situated in the Brittany region of France, 18 km south of Rennes.

4. Saint-Arnac

The French word for Swindle is spelled arnaque but is pronounced the same way as the arnac spelling. This town is literally called “Holy Swindle“. The town of Saint-Arnac is located in the very south of France, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region at 40 km west from Perpignan.

5. Vatan

Don’t let the unwelcoming name of Vatan stop you from visiting it. Vatan means “Go away” in French and is located at about 50 km west of Bourges in Central France in the Loire Valley. Vatan was also the host town for the sixth annual meeting of French mayors of towns with funny names. Next year’s meeting will be held in the town of Bouzillé (”broken” or “ruined”), 55 km east of Nantes.

1. Family friendly hotels in Washington DC

Published June 23rd – Our top-5 of Washington hotels with facilities to welcome families with kids. Nintendo games, swimming pools, children under 12 eat free, babysitting and other family-friendly amenities.

2. Art galleries in midtown Manhattan

Published June 11th – Visiting Manhattan with a passion for modern art? Check out these art galleries in Midtown Manhattan and within walking distance of the ongoing Dali exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (thru September 15th).

3. Pet-friendly beaches in Italy

Published June 16th – 5 dog-friendly beaches in the most beautiful parts of Italy to enjoy a relaxing family vacation without having to leave out the family pet. Some even offer dog sitting services and agility courses for your four-legged friend.

4. Shopping in Hong Kong

Published June 10th – How to get the best deals on your Hong Kong shopping spree. Learn all about bargaining in Hong Kong, check your products and know your rights.

5. How to get over jet lag

Published June 10th – Read how to fight dreadful jet lag after a flight across several time zones. Rest, water, sleeping aid, anti-jet-lag pills and positive thinking will help you make the best of it and be back to your normal state in no time.

Our very own Federica (30) and Luca (29) got married in Frosinone, approx. 90 km (56 miles) south-east of Rome. Federica works at Venere since 2004 as an information architect and Luca joined in 2007 as a database quality assurance operator.

Congrats from all of us at Venere.com! The big question remains: will they call their first born Venus?

San Francisco

Recommended by: Federica, 30, information architect
I just got back from San Francisco where I went on honeymoon with my husband Luca (also a Venere.com employee). San Fransisco is my favorite city because every area is so different from the next one. I especially liked Fisherman’s Wharf with its excellent sea food.
Tip: Have San Francisco clam chowder, enjoy!

Copenhagen

Recommended by: Simone, 34, software developer
I love Copenhagen! I like the fact that its landscapes are flat, I like the bicycle traffic and the absence of sky scrapers. I especially like Danish Museum of Art & Design. Copenhagen has a high quality of life and excellent food and yummy salmon.
Tip: The city center is a must-see.

Pienza, Tuscany

Recommended by: Mascha, 27, junior SEO
Pienza is a small gem, the typical Tuscan village like you would imagine when you watch pasta commercials. The little town square is lovely and Pienza has been an inspiration to film makers like Federico Fellini who regularly visited the town. It was also the setting for the successful Minghella movie The English Patient.
Tip: Visit the monastery of Sant’Anna in Camprena at 20 km outside of town. The monastery was the setting for most scenes of The English Patient.

Dublin

Recommended by: Francesco, 32, credit controller
I lived in Dublin for 3 years and although I don’t find the city itself particularly beautiful, it does have a very relaxed and joyful atmosphere and the people are open and friendly, ideal for a weekend break. It is also very suitable as a destination for tourists traveling alone, being that it is so easy to meet other people. There are several great parks for walking or cycling, such as Phoenix Park and St. Stephen’s Green Park.
Tip: The village of Howth in the suburbs of Dublin is definitely worth a visit.

Berlin

Recommended by: Rita, 31, software developer
I am an architecture enthusiast and I love visiting Berlin. Berlin is full of great works by extrovert architects that also use ecological technologies. I especially like the building of the Reichstag (where the German parliament is housed) because of its historical appearance on the outside and the modern insides of the building, including its solar panels.
Tip: order pork shanks for dinner

Ravello

Recommended by: Alex, 28, SEM Analyst
I lived in Ravello, Amalfi Coast, for 10 years and still love to return often. It’s in the heart of the Amalfi Coast but contrary to other towns in the area the historical center of the town is at 300 metres (980 feet) of altitude. It doesn’t get too hot or crowded during the summer months. There is a great annual visual arts festival from June to September that I wouldn’t miss. Also, there is a boat connection to nearby Positano, Capri and Amalfi for day trips.
Tip: Visit the Villa Cimbrona and the Villa Rufolo where festival events are being held at sunrise. For dinner go to the Ristorante Cumpa Cosimo or to the upscale restaurant of the Hotel Palumbo.

Bored at the Beach? The Independent lists 10 travel games to take with you on holiday.

The Guardian has a historical review of the great classical French Chateau Vaux le Vicomte in Maincy, at 55 km from Paris. The castle was the inspiration for the royal Palace of Versailles.

Thinking of having after-dark sex on the beach in Dubai? Think again! A British business man and a British tourist are facing up to 6 years of prison time for this offense. Magalluf again next year?

Travel + Leisure Magazine announced the 2008 World’s Best Cities ranking Bangkok, Buenos Aires and Cape Town in the top three positions. Surprising new entry is Cuzco, Peru at number 6.

Paris’s most famous monument, the Eiffel Tower, will undergo a $267 million facelift to make its 7 million yearly visitors more comfortable. The renovation is going to take 10 years to finish.

Traveling to Europe with a credit card? Will it work? Christopher Elliot offers some hands-on tips and warnings.

• Val d’Orcia, Tuscany

The breathtaking landscape in the hinterland south of Siena and stretching out to Monte Amiata has inspired artists in the Renaissance and modern photographers. The Val d’Orcia with its flat chalk plains and almost cone-shaped hills contains beautiful old fortifications such as Pienza and Montalcino, incidentally home to the prestigious Italian Brunello di Montalcino wine.

• Rock Drawings in Valcamonica, Lombardy

The Valcamonica is situated in the Lombardy plain on the Oglio river upstream from Lake Iseo.The Valcamonica is home to one of the world’s greatest collections of prehistoric rock art: more than 140,000 petroglyphs carved in the rock over an 8,000 year period from the Epipaleolithic until the Roman and Medieval periods.

• Castel del Monte, Apulia

This magnificent fortress was built in the 13th century by Emperor Frederick II some 55 km (34 miles) west of Bari and the Apulia Coast in the Valle d’Itria. Castel del Monte is a blend of elements from classical antiquity, the Islamic Orient and north European Cistercian Gothic. It is an octagon-shaped prism with a bastion at each corner.

• Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily

The Villa Romana del Casale is situated on the South Coast of Sicily just outside the town of Piazza Armerina. The Villa contains the finest on site mosaics anywhere in the Roman world, which makes the Villa Romana del Casale the ultimate example of a luxury Roman villa.

• Archaeological Area and Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia, Friuli Venezia Giulia

This magnificent archaeological treasure lies in the province of Udine on the Venetian Coast. The town of Aquileia was one of the wealthiest and biggest in the early Roman Empire. The city was destroyed by Attila in the 5th century and most of the city remains intact and buried. The patriarchal basilica with its beautiful mosaic floor played an important role in spreading Christianity in the Middle Ages.

• The Trulli of Alberobello, Apulia

The Trullo is a typical building in the Itria Valley of Apulia, and the Trulli of Alberobello were added to UNESCO’s list in 1996. The trulli are limestone dwellings and are a remarkable example of prehistoric construction techniques. Most of them survived intact and are in use today.

Pictures of Trulli, Alberobello originally posted by fede_gen88, Val d’Orcia by the bbp, Lake Iseo, Lombardy by Franco Follini, Castel del Monte, Apulia by Andrea Rinaldi, Villa del Casale, Sicily by Neil Weightman, Basilica of Aquileia by orsorama

Venere.com, the Europe and Italy hotel specialist, and Trenitalia, the Italian National Railway, are today launching a new co-branded service where Trenitalia users can book their train ticket and their accommodation on the co-branded web site.

This new hotel reservation service is dedicated to the more than 500 million business travelers, commuters and tourists alike traveling Italy by train each year. The Trenitalia web site will feature a customized search box with direct access to over 24,000 hotels, B&B’s and other vacation rentals worldwide. Over 8,500 hotels in Italy alone.

Gianfranco Battisti, Commercial Director of the National and International Passenger Division at Trenitalia comments:

Extending our online product is a primary objective for Trenitalia. The partnership with venere.com is an important milestone in reaching more users and capitalizing that traffic. In our selection process for finding a suitable partner among highly qualified international competitors, venere.com proofed the ideal partner to complement Trenitalia’s online travel efforts.

Marco Ficarra, CEO of venere.com comments:

The partnership with Trenitalia is a great sign that venere.com is confirming the levels of attention at home that have already taken the company to international market leadership. Online accommodation is growing fast in Europe, where venere.com is independent market leader, and Trenitalia users are in the front line when it comes to internet. Venere.com will be able to offer these users the best deals and the most choice.

For more information contact:
Micaela Zanarini, PR Manager at venere.com: zanarini@venere.com
Marco Mancini,Trenitalia Press Room: m.mancini@ferroviedellostato.it

Pizza Fiore

Recommended by: Giandomenico, 29, graphic designer
Recommended for: everyone who enjoys a good pizza
Must order: pizza margherita
Price: $ cheap
Pizza Fiore serves the original Italian pizza from Naples as well as a wide selection of typical Neapolitan deserts such as Rum baba and Sfogliatelle, small stuffed pastries.
Pizza Fiore, Via Tiburtina 613, Rome

La Fraschetta di Mastro Giorgio

Recommended by: Carla, 27, user researcher
Recommended for: couples
Must order: pasta e fagioli
Price: $$ moderate
La Fraschetta di Mastro Giorgio offers excellent Roman cuisine. Big portions, very tasteful dishes and lots of choice. The restaurant decor is rustic and the atmosphere is great.
Restaurant La Fraschetta di Mastro Giorgio, Via Alessandro Volta 3, Rome

Il Campidano

Recommended by: Giuseppe, 39, director of software development
Recommended for: gourmet lovers
Must order: astice (European lobster)
Price: $$$ expensive
Il Campidano is a fine dining restaurant serving Sardinian specialties such as a wide range of (raw) fish starters and fish-based main courses. Don’t let the disappointing restaurant decor put you off! The food is excellent. Not to be missed is the typical Sardinian dessert Seadas, a cheese and honey based pastry.
Restaurant Il Campidano, Via Fonte Buono 7, Rome

Pizzeria Cocco

Recommended by: Claudio, 27, system administrator
Recommended for: young people and couples
Must order: pizza cocco (mozzarella, tomato, basil, parmezan)
Price: $ cheap
Excellent pizza at Pizzeria Cocco at low prices. The decor of the restaurant is somewhat spartan but the atmosphere is welcoming and quiet. Restaurant staff is very friendly.
Pizzeria Cocco, Circonvalazione Appia 37, Rome

Su Nuraghe

Recommended by: Flaminia, 36, content manager
Recommended for: families and groups of friends
Must order: linguine all’astice (pasta with European lobster)
Price: $$ moderate
Su Nuraghe is a Sardinian restaurant with an excellent choice of fresh fish. The decor is very welcoming and waiters are extremely friendly and helpful.
Restaurant Su Nuraghe, Via Imperia 62, 66, 68, Rome

Trattoria Ivo

Recommended by: Marco, 37, head of system administration
Recommended for: young people and couples
Must order: spaghetti carbonara
Price: $$ moderate
Trattoria Ivo in Trastevere is a very characteristic and old restaurant serving typical Roman dishes. The restaurant is located in a period building with wooden panel ceilings. Specialties include everything from meat and pasta to pizza.
Trattoria Ivo, Via S. Francesco a Ripa, Rome

1. Hotel Impala

Hotel review rating: 8.4
Top rated both on venere.com and Tripadvisor, the European-style boutique hotel Impala is located in the art deco area of Miami Beach at one block from the beach. The hotel offers complimentary passes to Nikki Beach Club. The on-site Spiga Restaurant boasts famous eaters such as Mick Jagger, Julia Roberts and Puff Daddy.

2. Hotel Nash LLC

Hotel review rating: 7.9
The three-star Hotel Nash boasts a fashionable location at just one block from the beach. The 52 beautifully appointed guest rooms, the French lobby with free Internet and the romantic courtyard garden make this hotel an excellent choice for your stay in Miami Beach. Award-winning chef Mark Militello runs the popular on-site restaurant.

3. Crest Hotel & Suites

Hotel review rating: 7.4
The 1939 art deco Crest Hotel offers 43 rooms and 23 suites, all decorated in a contemporary elegant style with with custom made furnishing and art work.

4. The Palms South Beach

Hotel review rating: 7.2
The large The Palms South Beach hotel is convenient both for business travelers and leisure guests, offering a variety of dining, drinking and entertainment options. Moreover, there is a 24-hour self-service business center, wireless internet access and meeting facilities.

5. South Beach Hotel

Hotel review rating: 7.1
The recently renovated South Beach Hotel was honored by the city of Miami Beach with a prestigious Beautification Award. It was first built in 1939 by Henry Hohauser, the renowned art deco architect.